The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-02-27
CONGRESS YESTERDAY.
Diplomatic and Consular and Naval Arpro-
rriation bills Passed - Interesting FRO.
cccIIurs I'm Inih Hnuscs.

ng omitted necessary appropriations, clearly In
the action Se House anS woa
insert the things left out aud thcn, nt once, from
Maine TO California, were rung the ohnrgcsot Re-
publican extravaganza III increasing the np-
preparations made by the Democratic House Of
The time would como when
Ihe ovcrriddcn patience of the Senate would re-
Mr., Call defended the House and the Demo.
cratic Administration
Mi. Plumb, a member of the Committee ON
Appropriations, spoke OF the Consular. aud Dip.
G"tf SSrr SSryfS tSG as ssnT y ErettS bad cond
sulnr service Is the worst II had ever been. The
Administration had done the hest II could with
The material on hand,
ncr and Mnpton on hs onc "",wSS sc .nS mSss NJ
Plumb on the other. in regard to the character Of
persons appointed to our foreign service by tho
Mr.. Butlcr asked Mr.. Plumb how many Rcpub.
leans still held Office In the Consular and Dlplo.
matte Service.
Mr.. Plumb said he was not unmindfu of the
fact TINT the President had difficulty in getting
competent men In the Democratic party, and
@ sT 'F innt ses in oSs Spon
style, might do very well for the hustings, but
he lid not think it suitable for the Senate OF the
Mr.. Plumb invited Mr.. Butlcr to send him
what he considered good model
Mr.. Butler said he, would do SO if the senator
would promise TO follow II, but he feared he
would not do SO, us he thought he was not capa-
bic of doing so.
Nttpr good ucal oil 1uttnpr ucSnItOtN discus
sion, the amendments reported by the Committee
on Appropriations were all adopted. with some
othcrs,l and the bill was passed.
The Agricultural Appropriation bill was then
taken up. read, and passed, with some amend
mcnts)
Messages were presented from the President
vctoing pension bills for Anna Wright and Sarah
Hnmilton-thc former on the ground TINT the
beneficiary was already drawing her pension
that The rrord of her husband @ w"s 9 ine S
iescrtion, and that his death had no relation to
his military service. They were referred to the
Committee on Pensions.
Mr.. Hoar, from the Committee on the Library.
reported bill appropriatng s0,0OO for the com
plction OF the monument 10 Mary, the mother Of
Mr.. Dawes presented the conference report ON
the Indian Appropriation bill, and It was aurccd
After u short session for executive business on
motion of Mr. Morrill,. the Senate bill to rcim-
bursc the dcpostors of the Frcc,iman's Savings
amended and passcd-ycis ~. nays Il.
The Senate then, at 6a!j adjourned.
House.,in the House yesterday afternoon,
bill, Mr.. Herbert strongly advocated Mr.
Saycrs's amendment proposing an appropriation
Of s?l;oGO for, the construction Of two swift
tons displacement, of the type of the Newark
except boilers and machinery; four of about
@ b6n, ions Ton !spl"SScmsn Of the typ Of Gun;
vessels to cost altogether, exclusive of arna-
mcnt. not more than sl,ad,m Hc believed il
his opinion was that the Government could
afford to build six new vessels and one torpedo
bout.
Mr.. Holman opposed this extraordinary and
uncxnlnpled system of expenditures In a
time of profound peace. He Viewed with alarm
this aMttempt Mt TO in increase i the power of the Army
the other, and thus the sentiment upon which the
Government is bascd would be revolutionzed.
Mr.. Love (Del) said that the American people
were in advance of Congress In respect to al,
American Navy. and were heartily In favor Of
preparing to meet any foe which might come
upon the ocean.
Mr.. Thomas. IN, in reply to questions from II
number of gentlemen, rapidly skctched the pres
sn IF the msw h
i had never been proposed to put ten and twelve
inch guns ON the Atlanta She WINS prepared for
never had been Il twclvc.inch hlgh-powcr rfied
gun built in the United States. There was not
twclve-inch gun In the United states to-day. The
eight.inch and siN-inch guns reached the highest
initial velocity md the greatest penetrating
power of any. gun ever. built in any country.
The only trouble wds that we did not have
Mr.. McAdoo IN. ~ drew distinction between
the maintenance of a military establishment and
never turned against the liberties of Il country,
and every dollar OF appropriation for building u
navy was for I'M armament which would be
turned against the invaders and not against the
country itself.
Mr.. bland MOI said the country was in no
to tux tho people in order to squander the money
among few large cities on the seacoast.
Mr.. Reed Maine, Thought that the Importance
the present deplorable condition of the apprO-
prepare for war" was truer to-day than II had
ever been. To construct an eight-inch gun to-
day required eighteen months. The best equip
ped plant in Europe would not promise a six
teen-inch gun in less than three years. and in
this country it would take four years TO mnn,i-
After further debate by Ncssls. Oates and
tItn lutfn
yeas ~, nays lO'- almost a strict party vote.
amendment offered by Mr. Thomas, provid-
ins ing ,nas se vessels snail pc Pc built Under contract
provisions OF the act of August O. 1885, was agreed
to, and as thus amended Mr.. Saycrs's amendment
Mr.. Reed then offered US an amendment the
Senate bill providing for the securing of steel for
the construction Of heavy ordnance suitable FOR
naval warfare, but II was voted down.
On point of order raised by Mr.. Randall, PAL
tho last paragraph of the bill, authorizing the
Department to another. was ruled from the bill
The c2mmittcmG C. then rose and reported the bill
to the House. The action of the committee In
adopting the amendment offered by Mr.. Savers
was reafiirmcd, and the bill was then passed.
Then for an hour the House was In IL storm and
confusion. The Appropriation Committee de.
Appropriation bill to be considered tonight, but
were unable to secure aquorum for that pur-
propositions for session Tomorrow night were
objected to. and finally, AT 6:l5. II call of the
HOUSE WIS OfucItsl.
The doors were ordered to he closed, but Il
bers who voluntarily presented themselves nt
and should not be compelled to give an ex-
cnse % for their absence, At 6:t5 II recess was
taken until oclock,thc evening session not
to ocOntinuc beyond midnight
When the House met mt o'clock IT found
itself Itself IL H., n" better condition th@p IT had been
under the call Of the House not Of having hsr bcer
dispensed with. the House assembled with
closed doors. After half I'M hours wlanglinp
| cecdings under the call were dispensed with
md the House went into Committee Of H.,
Whole on the Lcssintivc I Executive and Judi
lntcrmcdiatcly several Interruptions were made
ana great confusion elisned, as result Of ni
Blair Educational bill to nntngonizc the appro
priation bills and endeayor to force by this inean
recognition of II motion to pass that mcasur,
under suspension OF the rules.
After about three hours Ind been spent thu
reaainE wl % was completed, and the conmittsc rose
pass the bill. but after seriolIg opposition b,
Messrs Reed, Cannon, and blanchard the motioi
lilhnchnr1 and Tucker, aud ut !. o'clock tn,
House adjourned.
Fire at the Capitol.
Shortly after 6o'clock last evening fire was dis
covered In one OF the crypts for the storage o
DOCUMENTS, books, and tfationery, beneath th'
,yiuuk ioOHiS " tnc soutn WlnR Oh tne NhpltOl
within very few llinutcs dense clouds of sinOk,
were rolling up through the stnirways and illinl
| the lower corridors of the building. Vain ut
tcmpts were made by the employees 10 cxtiny,,sl
| the flames, but they Were driven bnck by tn,
smil9catinH fumes, and recourse WINS had to th,
| local fire department. 4 line of hose was will
come difficulty drawn through the network %
Crypts, and with the assistance of an engine tn,
! flames were subducd in the course of hnlf Al
hour. The fire broke out from some uney panc'
papers, nnd combustiblc material ns TO be ap
proaclablc only with difficulty. The extent o
| the damage cannot bc asccrtained until IN,
supplies have been Overhaulcd, but will bc NOR,
| heavy from smoke and water than from fire.
The Veterans Carnival and Mart.
| The various friends of the Union Vctcrnl
Corps. Old Guard have prevailed upon them I,
continue their carnival and mart ono more even
ing to determine the final voting. Quite an OK
citing and interest ing combat is anticipated wheI
the secret voting for the many valuable article
! still In their possession commences, which will b
from oo'clock to 10 o'clock sharp. The prncipa
struggle will be for the diamond earrings, dia
nond rings, brewers solid sterling silver pitcher
ice.drivcrs aud messengers gold watches, an'
last, but not least, the beautiful diamond an,
ruby Knight Tcmplar pendant, and the da
] ip mi nf Iul,